Landspeedrecord! / Prosolar Mechanics
Urban Development Series, Volume Four CDEP - Ambiguous City

Stepping up to the plate first is Landspeedrecord!, cranking out five somewhat quirky and unique, yet somewhat standard and familiar indie rock tracks. The songs don’t differ a great deal from one to the next, with the possible exception of the infectiously catchy “Best Revenge,” or the rhythmic playfulness of “Neophobes.” This is the sort of effort that could quite possibly evoke a sense of indifference, since it is not bad enough to skip over, but not good enough to play on repeat over and over again. The lo-fi vibe works well with the straightforward popping and rocking sound, and Charley Jamison’s vocals are quite endearing, and so the end result is consistently decent. Cleaning up is Prosolar Mechanics, featuring the sultry female vocals of Amy Jacob, which make the two bands stand apart right away. “The Future Of Sex” and “Red Down The Middle” are rather moody rock numbers, with a grittier and less poppy feel than the preceding Landspeedrecord! cuts. The band tends to drone on a little, with two of their four songs stretching out well over six minutes, which is a little uncalled for in this case. Meanwhile, “Sender” is a more upbeat number with a hint of a New wave feel, and “415” is the quietest song on the entire disc, offering up some pretty uneventful ambiance. Split EPs are always fun because you have two chances at finding something new and exciting. But there are some, like this one, that seem better suited for people already fond of at least one of the bands, and less applicable to people who have never heard of either and are looking for something new to fall in love with. If you’re a fan of either band, you need this, and it won’t kill you to pay attention to the other band while you’re at it. But if you’ve just got a few bucks burning a hole in your pocket, and figure your chances are better with two bands on the same disc, you may want to look elsewhere. (Eddie Fournier)
www.landspeedrecord.net
www.prosolarmechanics.com